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Mutant Chronicles/Dread and the Corruption of the Soul
Corruption of the Soul A character can receive a point of Dread in two ways: Experiencing the horrors of The Dark Legion, or by failing a Fright Check. The power begins to corrupt the character’s soul, and imposes a -1 modifier for each point of Dread the PC has acquired, to all tasks attempted by the tainted character. Once a character no longer has any Dread, the effects of the Dark Influences subside. The character may recover Dread normally. Cleansing a PC of its Dread is difficult, requiring a week of penitence, typically done in solitude in a cell within a cathedral is sufficient to heal a single point of Dread. Should a character’s mind become completely Corrupted, he is lost to Darkness, and can no longer be regarded as a player character. The character slinks off into the night, his soul defiled by the Dark Apostles. Fright Checks and the Effects of Dread When a character in a Mutant Chronicles game fails a Fright Check due to experiencing the horrors of The Dark Legion, roll 3 dice. Add the amount by which the Fright Check was missed and consult the following table. If the table calls for the victim to acquire a disadvantage he already has, make any resistance rolls at -2 while the effect lasts. The effect of Dread is identical to being stunned (p. B420), but includes dizziness and breathing difficulties. Hysteria has a similar effect in game terms. Traditional treatments involve sweet tea, wafting smelling salts around the nose, loosening the collar or corset, or a slap to the face (in the case of hysteria). Any of these allow the victim to make a recovery roll at +2. Dread Table 4 Swoon decorously for one turn, then recover automatically. 5 Scream! Snap into hysteria; the victim can only scream at the top of his lungs for 1d turns. 6-8 The vapors. Victim is stricken with a ghastly pallor as the blood rushes from his head. Swoon for one turn. Every turn after that, roll vs. unmodified IQ to snap out of it. 9 Uncontrollable shaking. Swoon for oneturn, then roll vs. modified IQ every turn after that to snap out of it. The victim feels icy cold and is wracked by shivers while the effect lasts (-2 to DX). 10 Prostrate with shock. Faint clean away for 1d turns. Every turn after that, roll vs. modified Will to come around. 11-12 The PC experiences Wild hysteria, Uncontrollable laughter or weeping for 2d turns. Every turn afte that, roll vs. modified IQ to recover. 13 Grim understanding. Past events play out in the victim's mind, and suddenly everything becomes clear! Treat as 2d seconds of Flashbacks (p. B136). The GM should describe the content in detail. 14-15 Horrid dreams. Oh, stiff upper lip and all that by day - but such visions at night! Treat as 1d nights of Nightmares (p. CI92). 16 Sleepwalking. 1d nights of Nightmares, (p. B144), and the victim also walks in his sleep, a wraithlike figure who moves under a volition not of his own. Treat as Sleepwalker (p. B154). 17 Blanch. A lock of the victim's hair turns white with shock 18-19 Moment of weakness. No immediate effect, but if alcohol, dings, sex, etc. are offered as solace during the next 1d days, the victim must make a Will roll or succumb as if he suffered from Alcoholism, Addiction, Lecherous ness, etc. 20 Fit of rage. The victim flies into a violent frenzy, smashing things and foaming at the mouth. Treat as 1d seconds of the Berserk disadvantage (p. B124). 21 Overwhelmed. It is all too much; even the slightest stimulation interferes with rational thought. The victim just wants to be left alone. Treat as 1d hours of the Confused disadvantage (p. B129). 22 Rats in the walls. Low-level hallucinations convince the victim that someone or something is constantly threatening him. Acquire a Minor Delusion (p.B130) and 1d hours of the Paranoia disadvantage (p.B148). 23 Shut out the world. The traumatized victim retreats into himself, losing both the desire and the ability to interact with others. Treat as 1d hours of the Crippling Shyness disadvantage (p. B154). 24 Numb. In his shocked state, the victim ceases to care whether he lives or dies. Treat as 1d hours of the On the Edge disadvantage (p. B146). 25 Acquire a Mild Phobia (p. B148). 26 Discouraged. Just as the victim's confidence in the world has been shaken, so too has his confidence in himself. The victim suffers from Low Self-image (p.B143) for 1d hours. 27 Hysterical blindness. Faint for 1d minutes, and lose either the sense of sight or the ability to speak for 1d hours; treat as either Blindness (p. B124) or Mute (p.B125). 28 Regression. Faint, for 1d minutes. When he comes round, the victim has retreated for 1d hours into a happier, childlike state as a temporary respite from the horrors around him. Treat as -5 to IQ and a Major Delusion (p.B130). 29-30 Acquire an unhealthy, ghoulish Obsession. (p.B146). 31 Depressed. The victim goes into a dark funk of incessant suicidal thoughts. Treat as 1d days of Chronic Depression (p. B126). 32-33 Dark side revealed. Once the world has revealed its secrets, the stressed mind is bound to do the same. Treat as 1d days of Split Personality (p. B156), with the GM creating a personality that embodies the victim's "darkest urges." 34 Loss of identity. Identity is your place in the world. Once that is turned upside down, who are you really? Treat as 1d days of Amnesia (p. B123). 35-36 Dark revelation. The traumatic experience is a sign from the Lord! The victim has had a conversion on the road to Damascus and just found God.. . or something. Treat as 1d days of religious Fanaticism (p. B136). 37-38 Devastated. What does anything matter now? The victim becomes a shuffling husk of his former self. Treat as 1d days of Slave Mentality (p. B154). 39+ Acquire a Severe Phobia or other mental disadvantage(s) worth -15 points. Category:Mutant Chronicles